In the title mol-ecule, C(16)H(14)O(4)S, the dihydro-cyclo-penta-thio-phenone ring system is almost planar, with an r.m.s. deviation of 0.060 Å from the best fit plane through all nine non-H atoms. The cyclo-penta-none ring adopts a severely flattened envelope conformation with the C atom carrying the OH and ethylcarboxylate substituents at the flap. This atom lies only 0.185 (3) Å from the plane through the other four C atoms. The phenyl substituent is inclined at 43.37 (5)° to the dihydro-cyclo-penta-thio-phenone mean plane. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked by pairs of O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, forming inversion dimers with R(2) (2)(10) ring motifs. Weak C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds also link mol-ecules into chains along c, while an approximately orthogonal set of C-H⋯O contacts form chains along b, resulting in layers lying parallel to (100). Inversion dimers also form through weaker R(2) (2)(12) C-H⋯S contacts, which combine with C-H⋯O contacts to form stacks along b.